There are many devices known in which a rack is moved in a linear direction to engage a pinion which imparts rotary movement to a shaft.
One such application of these linear to rotary movement translators is in the use of positioning a multiplicity of snow chains which are regularly spaced on a rotative wheel such that the wheel and chains will be moved so that the chains will be disposed under the drive wheels of a vehicle when in an operative position upon rotation of the pinion in one direction and will be withdrawn from an operative position upon rotation of the pinion in another direction.
Examples of such mechanisms are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,657,118; 4,809,797; 4,872,359; 4,840,399 and 4,901,809.
The foregoing patents generally disclose a shaft or a drive shaft which is pivotal with a longitudinally displacable rack with a pinion with a pivot arm connected to an output drive shaft which will rotate an arm for a wheel of a centrivical chain assembly.
Numerous known anti-skid devices or centrivical chain wheels for motor vehicles are known. Such devices form a winter travel safeguard which can be engaged when needed by the driver of a motor vehicle and which substantially improve traction between the drive wheels and the roadway.
Generally, such centrivical wheel chain assemblys comprise a plurality of chains which are radially spaced apart and depend from a rotatable disk or wheel device. Such chains are usually six in number and equi-angularly spaced around the wheel or disk at one end thereof. The wheels or disks when lowered into an operative position will be disposed beneath the drive wheels of a vehicle and will rotate with the drive wheel while providing one or more chains below the wheel.
In the devices disclosed in these patents, the actuating mechanism for the chain carrying wheels are rather large and cumbersome, and in some cases may be difficult to mount because of the restricted space adjacent the axles of the driving wheels of the vehicles.
Additionally, these known devices are, in some cases, rather complex in mechanical structure and require a large number of machined parts.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a new and improved linear motion to rotative motion translator which is quite compact in size and in dimension and which in the environment described is easily installed in a motor vehicle.
An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved motion translating device of very compact structure.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved linear to rotary motion translating device which requires no external devices.
A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved actuating mechanism for operation of a multiplicity of chains beneath the drive wheels of a vehicle.